Midcounties Co-op expands travel operation with new acquisition
WARWICKSHIRE-based Midcounties Co-op Travel has expanded with the acquisition of a leading home working business and pledged it is just the beginning of a major expansion.
Midcounties has taken on Kwik Travel in an undisclosed deal that increases the society’s network of home workers from 10 to around 60.
Kwik Travel, which has an administration office in Tamworth, was founded in 1994 and has a turnover of around £25m.
Alistair Rowland, Group General Manager, Travel Services, Midcounties Co-op Travel, said: “This is a key early acquisition for Co-op Travel as we pursue our strategy of rapid growth as a major independent travel company backed by Co-operative values.”
He said the deal enhanced the society’s presence in the home worker sector but added the move was only the start of what the group was planning in order to grow its online operation, home working and branch network.
Kwik Travel is one of the elite partners Teletext chose to stay with when it slimmed down the number of retail partners advertising on its web-based service from 50 to 15.
The acquisition comes just ahead of Co-op Travel launching its own Personal Travel Agents division and website, which will be headed by Sheena Darby, who moved to Midcounties from the Co-operative Travel Group.
She said: “The acquisition of Kwik Travel enables us to ramp up our home working service very quickly. The two businesses between us operate a full suite of models and therefore opportunities for homeworkers to really drive their businesses forward.
“We are excited to be working with such a talented and knowledgeable team who will continue to deliver the high level of service Kwik Travel has become renowned for.”
Kevin Duckworth, Group Managing Director of the Preston Travel Group, parent company of Kwik, said: “The group’s strategic focus is to concentrate on its core market-leading trade-facing Tour Operating brands – Longwood Holidays, Preston Holidays, Amathus Holidays.
“We are delighted after several very successful years inside the group that Kwik Travel now has the opportunity to move onto even greater success having been acquired by a very strong organisation like Midcounties.”
The deal will see Claire Willoughby, managing director of Kwik Travel, continue with the business.
